Preston are looking to maintain their Championship promotion push
Two wins in nine has pushed Derby into mid-table
Recommended bet: Preston to win
While Coventry have stolen a march on most of the Championship, the race for promotion is so tight that no team can afford significant slips, so Derby need to get their act together when they head to Preston on Saturday.
However, their hosts are ticking along nicely and, as they have suffered just two league defeats at Deepdale this season, the Rams could be up against it.
The latest Preston vs Derby odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Team news
Robbie Brady is still sidelined with a calf injury that has prevented him from featuring for Preston all season, while Lewis Gibson and Andrija Vukcevic are also unavailable to North End boss Paul Heckingbottom.
Top goalscorer Carlton Morris is still sidelined for the Rams, but Oscar Fraulo will hope to make his league debut in midfield after joining from Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach.
The latest Preston vs Derby odds are available on LiveScore Bet
The stats
Both teams have scored in six of Preston’s last seven home matches.
Preston have the joint-highest number of draws in the Championship this season with 10.
Six of Derby’s last seven away matches have featured at least three goals.
The Rams have lost three of their last four matches.
Preston have suffered just two home league defeats this season.
Derby have scored in 24 of their 26 Championship games this term.
The latest Preston vs Derby odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
Derby need to get back on the winning trail to force their way into the Championship play-off picture, but it looks doubtful they will do it at Deepdale this weekend.
Two wins in their last nine league outings is a disappointing return and that tally looks even more modest when you consider one of those successes was against bottom-of-the-table Sheffield Wednesday.
The Rams have scored exactly one goal in each of their last 10 games across league and cup, which is a solid record, but the fact they have not gone beyond that and Carlton Morris, who has been out injured since November, remains their top scorer, tells a more sorry story.
So while the Rams have the habit of finding the net, it looks unlikely that they possess enough firepower to greatly trouble their hosts at Deepdale on Saturday.
Paul Heckingbottom’s side headed into the weekend fourth in the table, three points behind second-placed Middlesbrough, and they look geared to maintain their promotion push.
They look a stronger prospect than the Rams, who they beat 1-0 at Pride Park in September, and a strong promotion challenge is on the cards for a team who have lost just one of their last 10 league matches and have kept three clean sheets in their last four Championship outings.
Back Preston to win at 23/20 with LiveScore Bet
The latest Preston vs Derby odds are available on LiveScore Bet
